Washington sports betting was officially legalized on March 25, 2020, becoming the 21st state in the US to legalize the growing industry. As of January 2020, sports betting in Washington has not launched, and it’s unclear how long it will take for things to get going.
Washington sports betting will be limited to tribal casinos, and there are plenty of options available in the state. Washington online sports betting is also included in the law, but all of the betting must be done on tribal land.
The current sports betting law is being challenged in court by leaders of the card rooms in the state, and that has played a role in delaying the launch. When sports betting does launch in Washington, the official rules and regulations will look very similar to what takes place throughout the US.
Washington Sportsbooks
Washington sports betting will include both retail and online betting options, but all of the betting must take place on tribal land. Current sports betting law only allows for tribal casinos to accept wagers, and using a mobile app can only be done when on that property.
There are 24 recognized Native American tribes in Washington, and these tribes own and operate a total of 30 Washington casinos. Each of these properties is authorized to offer sports betting, but none have been able to launch up to this point.
These casinos can also choose to offer online sports betting app, but it is unclear how many of these options might be available. Creating a sports betting account would require a customer to visit one of the tribal casinos.
WA Sports Betting Rules
The Washington sports betting rules will be extremely progressive when the industry finally launches, and there will be just one major restriction. One market that will be included when sports betting launches is betting on esports competitions.
The top professional and collegiate sporting events in the US can be offered by sportsbooks, and top international competitions can be offered as a betting market as well. Each sportsbook operator will be able to choose the betting markets that they choose to feature on its site.
The one major restriction is that betting on college sporting events featuring teams from Washington is prohibited. This could have a significant impact on the sports betting numbers as there are some popular college programs in the state.
WA Sports Betting Regulations
In March 2020, HB 2638 was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee, officially legalizing sports betting in Washington. There were a couple of different sports betting proposals on the table in Washington, but this bill only allowed betting to take place at tribal casinos.
This bill was immediately challenged in court by the owners and operators of cardrooms, and an official ruling has not been made. Native American tribes in Washington are currently working on crafting new gaming compacts to begin to offer sports betting.
The Washington State Gambling Commission is in charge of overseeing and regulating the Washington sports betting industry.
Washington Sports Betting Summary
Washington sports betting is technically legal, but there still aren’t any sportsbooks available in the state. State lawmakers and tribal leaders are still working to agree on new gaming compacts that would allow these tribes to take bets at their casinos.
Washington sports betting will technically be available, but it can only be done when on tribal land. It’s unclear if any of these tribes will even choose to offer online betting as it will add an additional cost to partner with an operator.
With over 30 tribal casinos in Washington, bettors could potentially have plenty of sportsbook options, but not all of the tribes are expected to pursue sports betting. There are still plenty of details that will need to be ironed out before any legal bets are placed in the state of Washington.
